A Little Bitty Tear
Burl Ives Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spoiled my act as a clown
I had it made up not make a frown
But a little bitty tear let me down
You said you were leaving tomorrow
That today was our last day
I said there'd be no sorrow
That I'd laugh when you walked away
A little bitty tear let me down
Spoiled my act as a clown
I had it made up not make a frown
But a little bitty tear let me down
I said I'd laugh when you left me
Pull a funny as you went out the door
That I'd have another waiting
And I'd wave goodbye as you go
A little bitty tear let me down
Spoiled my act as a clown
I had it made up not make a frown
But a little bitty tear let me down
Everything went like a planned it
And really put on quite a show
In my heart I felt I could stand it
Till you walked with your grip through the door
A little bitty tear let me down
Spoiled my act as a clown
I had it made up not make a frown
But a little bitty tear let me down
A little bitty tear let me down
In “A Little Bitty Tear,” Burl Ives sings about a clown whose performance is ruined by a small tear shed over the departure of a loved one. The tear is significant not because of its size, but because it represents an emotional vulnerability that the clown had not planned on showing. The clown had made up his mind to put on a brave face and even make a joke out of the situation. However, as the person he loves is leaving, he finds that he cannot help but cry.
The clown had told his loved one that he would not be sad when they left, that he would make a joke of it and laugh as they walked away. He had even planned to have another person waiting in the wings so he could wave goodbye with a smile. However, his plan is foiled when the tear betrays his true feelings. He had planned everything perfectly, but his heart had other plans.
The song is a reminder that sometimes, no matter how much we plan or try to hide our emotions, they can still sneak up on us and reveal our vulnerability. The clown's little bitty tear may have let him down as a performer, but it also showed that he was human and capable of feeling deeply for another person.
Line by Line Meaning
A little bitty tear let me down
A small drop of tears brought me despair and sadness
Spoiled my act as a clown
Ruined my performance of pretending to be happy
I had it made up not make a frown
I had prepared myself to not express sadness
But a little bitty tear let me down
However, my emotions got the best of me and I couldn't hold back the tears
You said you were leaving tomorrow
You informed me about your impending departure
That today was our last day
This was going to be the last day we would spend together
I said there'd be no sorrow
I pretended to not care and assured you that I wouldn't feel sad
That I'd laugh when you walked away
I told you I would find your departure amusing
I said I'd laugh when you left me
I promised myself that I would not feel emotional when you left
Pull a funny as you went out the door
I planned to make a joke when you left
And I'd wave goodbye as you go
I would say goodbye to you with a smile on my face
Everything went like a planned it
My plan to not show any emotions was going well
And really put on quite a show
I was putting on a great act to hide my sadness
In my heart I felt I could stand it
I thought I could handle your departure without being sad
Till you walked with your grip through the door
Until you actually left, holding your possessions
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HANK COCHRAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Louis Chadaris
What a great talent was Mr. Ives. He is sorely missed. There will never be another Frosty like him
Mr. BLACKHAWK
I'm reading "Golden Boy", about Bill Holden, and he and Burl got into a drunken brawl apparently. Burl was supposedly very solid!
Potter
My Grandma and Grandpa loved listening to music like this and any time I spent just even a few hours with them or either one, as a kid, we’d always have some laughs. I miss them even to this day
Shirley Ford
When I was a child I thought my daddy was too much a man to cry. Then when I was almost 7, I came down with pneumonia. At that time it was something that could take a life. In fact, when he was a boy he had almost died from it. I remember waking in the hospital to find him by my bed, still in his work clothes and the days dirt still on him. He was on his knees crying and praying. Almost 50 years later and I still remember 5 words. Me God, not my baby. After that, this became our song. Over the years he did many things to show himself to be a man of strength. But in my memories, he was never bigger, never stronger or ever stood taller the that night on his knees by my bed. I love you daddy.
carpenterabc
Amen!
Margene Barlow
Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt memory.
Alan Nowland
I lov that thank you so much
West of Honeycutt
💫
Joesiah
This is way to long and specific. Deff copy pasted this from something. There's no way this is real lol 😅
Angel Graves
What a lovely soul he was. R.I.P. Burl Ives 👼🙏🤍🙂🌻